3D Printing: How It Works & What it is Used For

It all starts with the creation of a 3D model in your computer. This digital design is for instance a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file. A 3D model is either created from the ground up with 3D modeling software or based on data generated with a 3D scanner. With a 3D scanner you’re able to create a digital copy of an object.

The 3D printing industry encompasses many forms of technologies and materials. When most people think of 3D printing they are thinking of a simple desktop FDM printer but that’s not the entire picture. 3D printing can be divided into metal, fabrics, bio and a whole host of other industries. For this reason, it’s important to see it as a cluster of diverse industries with a myriad of different applications.

Education

Educators and students have long been using 3D printers in the classroom. 3D printing enables students to materialize their ideas in a fast and affordable way.

Car manufacturers, restorers and repairers have been employing 3D printing for a long time. Automotive industry experts only expect the use of AM technologies to grow in the coming years. Companies are using it to produce not just parts, but tools and interior elements.

Aerospace

If you want to see 3D printing applied in the wildest ways imaginable, look no further than the aerospace industry. From materials to concept printers they are doing some of the most interesting, cutting edge research in the entire field, all for the purpose of making interstellar exploration more habitable

Can you print buildings? – you sure can. There are not many of them, but companies like Apis Cor are producing fascinating results. The company claims it can print a house within 24 hours. Currently, it lends out its machinery to various other firms.

The outlook for medical use of 3D printing is evolving at an extremely rapid pace as specialists are beginning to utilize 3D printing in more advanced ways. Patients around the world are experiencing improved quality of care through 3D printed implants and prosthetics never before seen. Even 3D printing pens are helping out in orthopaedic surgery.

Fashion

3d printed fashion collection has been on the periphery of the fashion world. Aspiring designers have long been trying to leverage its potential.

Types of 3D Printing Technologies and Processes

There are several ways to 3D print. All these technologies are additive, differing mainly in the way layers are build to create an object.

The most commonly used technology in this processes is Stereolithography (SLA). This technology employs a vat of liquid ultraviolet curable photopolymer resin and an ultraviolet laser to build the object’s layers one at a time. For each layer, the laser beam traces a cross-section of the part pattern on the surface of the liquid resin

The FDM technology works using a plastic filament or metal wire which is unwound from a coil and supplying material to an extrusion nozzle which can turn the flow on and off. The nozzle is heated to melt the material and can be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions by a numerically controlled mechanism, directly controlled by a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software package.

3D printers use an array of different materials including plastics, resins, metals, ceramics and much more. Here is a little break down of some of the materials that you can use:

ABS or PLA plastic – any cheap plastic object that you buy is more than likely made out of ABS plastic – as it has become the standard for most things. ABS is more flexible and durable than PLA which is why it is commonly used for 3D printing. Both ABS and PLA are the cheapest raw materials that you can use in a 3D printer. To change colours you will need to switch out one colour of filament for another one.

Nylon – this is quite similar to printing with ABS plastic apart from the fact that the material is white powder. Nylon printing makes the final product very flexible and offers alternatives to inexpensive printers. You can polish objects printed in Nylon, dye them or paint them different colours. It is the best method for printing textiles.

Powder materials – this is for the most sophisticated of 3D printers. It fuses together heat from the laser and can work with almost any material. If something can be turned into powder, there is usually a way to print with it. The results range from things such as copper, iron, steel, gold and ceramics. The finished product will require not welding or machining as it is usually very strong.